Romeo and Juliet Socratic Seminar
Ms. Dean
English 9
Date of Socratic Seminar: ____________________
To prepare for your Socratic seminar, look at the following preparatory questions, and
choose three (3) to respond to in thoughtful handwritten paragraphs of 5-8
sentences for each question. This will allow you to have some of your own thoughts
pre-recorded so that you might better contribute to the class discussion. These
responses will be your “ticket” to the discussion—if you do not have them, you will
not be allowed to participate, and will be required to be a recorder of the discussion,
losing AtL and formative points.
Questions:
1. What effect does the accelerated time scheme have on the play’s development? Is it
plausible that a love story of this magnitude could take place so quickly? Does the play seem
to take place over as little time as it actually occupies?
2. Compare and contrast the characters of Tybalt and Mercutio. Why does Mercutio hate
Tybalt?
3. Which character in Romeo and Juliet do you think is most responsible for the tragedy? Give
specific reasons why.
4. Explain the importance and relevance of this quote:
O Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name,
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
5. Romeo and Juliet are the most famous pair of lovers in Western literature, but is their love
real, or is it just infatuation? Some people claim that Romeo and Juliet are just melodramatic
teenagers. Others argue that the Romeo and Juliet's love is the kind of love everyone should
aspire to find. What proof (evidence) does the play provide that their love is "real love," not
just infatuation?
6. How is loved portrayed in the media? How is this similar to or different from how love is
portrayed in Romeo and Juliet? How accurate is this portrayal?
7. In your opinion,what is the job of a good parent? Explain using textual evidence.
8. What responsibility should the Nurse and/or the Friar bear for the play's tragic ending? The
Prince announces that "some shall be pardoned and some punished." Do either the Nurse or
the Friar deserve punishment? Who else, in your opinion, might bear some responsibility for
the two lovers' deaths?
9. How did Romeo’s actions affect others? What does this show about how one person’s
actions affect others?
10. Why do humans turn to secrecy in order to solve their problems and how does this affect
everyday life?
11. What is love? Are teenagers capable of "real" love?